The creature known as an Imp
is a sentient beast not more than two
fores tall that is said to
resemble a thin lizard-like
goblin with wings. Additionally, the Imp has
an unusual looking face that resembles a smooth, bone-like mask with glowing red
eyes. Imps have been favoured as intelligent and loyal familiars among many
archmages over the centuries ever since the secret to their summoning was
discovered in 600 a.S. The Imp is a creature not native to the lands of
Sarvonia, or even
Nybelmar, and has long been an object of
study amongst scholarly Ximaxian and
Thalambathan researchers. Contemporary
sages agree that the first Imp was likely summoned from a far away unexplored
land of Caelereth. The lone piece of
evidence that began this theory comes from an old journal supposedly written by
a powerful mage named Lilis Farmantle who made her home on the island of
Denilou. The journal, entitled "Vagaries of
the Summoned Entity", had several entries dated approximately 600 a.S. These
entries detailed how the mage had perfected a summoning ritual to bring forth a
creature that she claimed was from a land far to the east of
Denilou. If the notes are taken as truth,
then the imps are perhaps native to the unexplored lands known as Yamalquain.
The journal survived a devastating fire in Farmantle's tower in 650 a.S. and
somehow made its way to Southern Sarvonia.
The journal (likely a copy and not the original) now makes its home in the
Summoning section in the XimaxianMagical Academy's vast library of arcane
lore. It is rumoured a copy of the book also resides in the collection of lore
in the Truban city of
Thalambath as well.

Image description. A red imp sits silently on a podium. This
particular imp is the companion of the travelling mage Seeker and spend much
of its time delivering messages back and forth on the mage's behalf. Picture drawn by Seeker.

Appearance.
Most all Imps bear a similar resemblance to each other. They possess very lean
bodies that stand erect to a little over two
fores tall. However, imps
rarely stand straight upright. They have a tendency to hunch over with their
backs curved forward and their heads hanging below their shoulder line. Their
bodies are covered in shimmering scaly skin imbued with a variety of rich
colors. Typical colours include dark reddish hues like blood, deep blue like the
sea, or noble green like the forest. A typical coloration scheme would consist
of a lighter shade beginning atop their heads, growing darker towards their
abdomen. The colouration then gets lighter once more upon the legs and feet. Imp
hands and arms are also lighter in colour with the exception of the tips of the
fingers which are darkly coloured.

The appearance of the Imps' head is something most observers find truly unique.
The best description of an Imps' face would be to say that they look like they
wear a mask made of smooth polished bone. It has been suggested by some scholars
that their face is actually the Imps' skulls without the covering of skin. The
face is triangular in shape that is perhaps two
palmspans in length and one
palmspan wide at the top.
The face narrows down to a "chin" that is pointed. Most all Imps possess small
horns that elongate from the upper corners of the face, often curving downwards.
Imps do possess two eyes that are perhaps five
nailsbreadths apart along
the top half of the face. These eyes are a deep red with eyelids that blink from
side to side. Imps have no discernible mouth from which to eat, drink or speak.
The imp has other unique ways of gaining sustenance and communication as
discussed below.

An Imps' bony arms are approximately three palmspans long. Their hands consist
of only four fingers, each with a curved claw on each one. Their feet are
similar, with three toes and a fourth toe opposite for grasping and perching.
Each toe possesses a claw as well. Imps are superb climbers and have been known
to scale walls, trees and sheer rock faces. In addition to their claws, their
palms and fingertips as well as their toes are riddled with tiny pores that can
be made extremely sticky. By using a combination of long claws and sticky hands,
the imps can climb almost any surface or cling to a surface for long periods of
time. Scholars have surmised that the Imps' native habitat may be composed of
cliff faces or very tall trees wherewith the creature must adapt to climbing
easily to get around. No Santharian
scholar has ever studied an imp in its native homeland so much about them is
conjecture.

One of the main methods of communication used by the Imp is their tail. Scholars
have surmised that the imp's subtle and precise movements of its flexible tail
tells of the creature's intentions, moods and emotional state. The tail is long
in relation to its body, perhaps three and a half
palmspans in length. The
tail narrows and tapers to a sharply barbed end. Imps have been observed using
their tail not only for communication, but for defense. The barbed end is
capable of stabbing swiftly, leaving a jagged wound in its victim. While no one
has ever deciphered an Imp's full range of communication with its tail, many
magi who have an imp in their possession have often said that with practice, one
can learn to read the movements and discern the Imp's needs and wants.

Lastly, the Imp is capable of flying short distances using its leathery wings
protruding from the Imp's back. These wings elongate to perhaps a little over
one ped in length. The imp usually must be perched on a high surface before
attempting flight. The wings stretch out and the imp glides downwards. Using an
occasional flapping motion, the Imp can hold itself aloft for a few minutes
before landing. With some effort, the imp can take flight from a standing
position, but they prefer to first climb a high surface before launching
themselves in the air. It cannot sustain flight for long periods of time, nor
has an imp ever been observed flying higher than six to seven
peds in the air. Again,
scholars have surmised that an Imp's native home consists of high elevations
wherewith the Imp glides up and down between surfaces.

Special Abilities.
The Imp is believed to sustain itself in a truly remarkable way. Researchers
believe that the creature nourishes itself by feeding off of the
cár'áll of other living beings. In addition,
scholars also believe that the imp is drawn towards those with extraordinary
willpower. The Imp is almost exclusively found in the company of magi thus
leading to the willpower attraction. Ximaxian
magi have high concentrations of will and focus in order to cast
magic. The Imp does not seem to require
physical food with which to eat, as it has no mouth, jaw or teeth wherewith to
chew.

The theory that the Imp draws strength from cár'áll was first discovered by the
Thalambathan arcanist Khaius Onderfaust
in 900 a.S. His work was documented in the journal entitled "Notes on Impish
Phylogeny" He summoned an Imp successfully and the creature appeared weak and
unable to move. The wizard moved closer to the imp and as he did so, the
creature began to stir and awaken. He backed away again, noting that the imp
collapsed once away from him. The wizard moved close again and stayed within a
few palmspans of the Imp.
The creature began to improve quickly and was standing upright attempting to
communicate. Onderfaust noted in his journal that the imp maintained a close
presence to any living thing within its reach. The arcanist was intrigued by
this behaviour and noted for the next few years, the imp typically stayed close
to himself only. This led the wizard to the second theory that the Imp was drawn
to something else about him.

Onderfaust also discovered that the imp rejected the company of most non-magi.
In particular, the creature became excited and attentive when the wizard cast
spells. In fact, the imp never strayed far from his laboratory. This led
Onderfaust to believe the imp somehow was sensitive to the casting of magic,
specifically the willpower involved. Somehow, the creature could feel the
spiritual aspects of casting magic and it gave the imp energy, in addition to
the wizard’s cár'áll. How exactly the Imp’s
own body could even find such nourishment in
cár'áll and willpower is as yet still not yet fully understood.

An Imp's typical means of communication is its tail. Using subtle and complex
motions, the creature can express its intentions and desires. Also, the tail is
thought to express its emotional state. Should the Imp lose its tail for
whatever reason, the appendage grows back fully formed within a six to seven
days.

Imps are known to live for many years. It has been impossible to determine the
age of an Imp and when asked, the imp cannot know. However, three documented
cases exist where the Imp far outlived their master. In fact, one imp in
particular had the nickname "Old One". He was first summoned in 1050 a.S. by the
archmage Amaris Despana, an archivist and instructor in the
Ximaxian
Magical Academy. The Old One's service to archmage Despana lasted a total of
twenty years before the mage died. The Imp continued to move on to various
masters, thirty five in total during its lifetime. The Old One finally died in
1452 a.S. from old age presumably. In total, the imp had lived in
Ximax for a total of 402 years.

Territory.
The Imp's native territory is thought to be the far-away unexplored lands to the
east of Santharia known as Yamalquain. The
journals of the mage who originally summoned an Imp long ago first indicated
this location as their origin. Because Yamalquain has never been extensively
studied or explored by Santharian
scholars, it is not known what the Imp's native home is truly like. However,
despite this lack of knowledge, the Imps that have been brought to the
Sarvonian mainland over the years have
adjusted well and even thrived here.

Because Imps are typically only summoned by powerful archmagi, the creatures are
mostly known to inhabit the regions in and around the city of
Ximax,
Thalambath and perhaps elvenmagic academies. That is not to say that imps
do not exist elsewhere as archmagi of all kinds live throughout
Sarvonia,
Nybelmar and beyond. But only the most studied imps have been in
Ximax. The city of
Thalambath has long been a rival in
magical power to
Ximax and it is difficult to gather related studies from magi in both
cities. In addition, Imps are drawn to areas with high
magical energy, especially
magical forests. It is rumoured that a group of
Imps live in the Thaelon Forest in Southern
Santharia. The
elves speak of a small, horned flying creature
they call a "d'isyrór" (Styrásh
lit. "magic friend") who live deep in the
woods. The elves recognize the creature as
something special and unique.

Habitat/Behaviour.
Imps are drawn to magi, in particular powerful ones. The reasons, as theorized
by scholars, is that the creatures are drawn to high concentrations of
cár'áll and willpower. When an Imp is
summoned, the creature remains with its master until one or both happen to die.
The Imp is a loyal and faithful minion and often serve as capable familiars for
their magi masters.

Imps possess a keen intelligence, and are considered sentient by most standards.
The creature is able to think for itself and can be trained to perform many
complicated tasks. Imps prefer to be treated well, but are tolerant of physical
and verbal abuse to a degree. There are some documented instances where an imp
will physically leave their masters to either cling to another magi or escape
altogether to live on its own independently. It is said that those Imps without
a master are considered "wild" and are often highly sought after by magi who
cannot, or will not, summon one of their own. Those fortunate magi who succeed
in finding and "adopting" a wild Imp must contend with training them and
convincing the imp that they are worthy to have the creature's loyalty. Wild
Imps are thought to be extremely rare and most rumours of their existence are
difficult to prove as truth.

Imps communicate using physical movements such as their tail or hands. They do
not speak aloud as they have no mouth. Their complicated and subtle tail
movements are thought to signify emotional states and intentions. Interestingly,
Imps are capable of understanding verbal commands and hand motions from others.
Two Imps within each others' company communicate with their tails. Should an Imp
lose their tail, it does grow back within six to seven days.

Imps are superb climbers and love to cling and perch to whatever is available.
Usually, in the company of its master, the imp will perch on the magi's shoulder
or chair. Trees are a favourite place to sit as it clings to thick branches like
a bird. The Imp then uses its wings to glide where it needs to go, usually
between trees. Imps do not favour movement along the ground or flat surfaces and
it always looks for somewhere high up to climb.

Diet.
Imps do not ingest physical nourishment. Rather, they are creatures who sustain
themselves by drawing on another living beings'
cár'áll and willpower. Ximaxians believe
every living thing possesses a cár'áll, but not all living beings possess
willpower. Hence why Imps prefer powerful magi as they have both, especially
willpower, in high amounts. They also prefer areas with
magical energy leading to the stories that
those wild Imps without a master live among magical forests. Essentially, an imp
will never "starve" as long as it is around other living beings.

Mating.
Imps have never been known to mate. There is no documentation or accounts of how
the creatures reproduce. No two Imps have ever been together long enough to
express the desire to mate. This has lead scholars to believe that imps do not
reproduce in ways familiar to most other creatures that require a male and
female pairing to produce offspring. Some sages say that all Imps known in
Sarvonia are all male and that the female
variety, somehow, has never been summoned. Still other scholars believe that
there is no gender among the imps at all and that the concept of gender is
unknown to them. The Thalambathan
arcanist Khaius Onderfaust has proposed that perhaps imps were indeed the
product of a powerful creation spell by long ancient magi in Yamalquain and that
there are only a fixed number of them in existence. He theorized that Imps
cannot reproduce and once they are all gone, they will be extinct forever.
Usages.
Imps are capable familiars and are loyal to their masters. Magi who are powerful
enough to summon an Imp often have a companion for life. The imp is easily
trained to perform simple and complex tasks and is often is used as aides in the
magi's rituals. Typically, a magi will give his Imp over to a new master before
he dies. If the master cannot (or will not) do so, then the imp will often find
their own new master themselves. Many magi all over
Caelereth are said to crave the prestige
of having an intelligent, unusual creature as a familiar. The Imp is attracted
to powerful magi, though, so it will generally reject a low level apprentice.
Should it fail to find a suitable master, the creature will find a home
elsewhere and become what is considered a wild Imp.

Myth/Lore.
No one knows the exact facts surrounding the imps' origins. The only documented
case is the journal entitled "Vagaries of the Summoned Entity" by the archmage
Lilis Farmantle. In this journal, she wrote of the first detailed summoning
ritual that brought the first imp to Denilou
in 600 a.S. Today, the legend of archmage Farmantle is alive and well among the
human tribes of the island. She is said to
have been wise and powerful who was very skilled in summoning
magic. Legends say she spent years trying to
perfect her summoning rituals and one of her first successes was an Imp. How she
came to the conclusion that the imp came from Yamalquain is not certain.
Ximaxian researchers have said that perhaps
Farmantle's exceptional skill in summoning enabled her to actually choose a
location from which to summon. Or, at least, she could sense where her
summonings came from. Unfortunately, much of Farmantle's work was destroyed when
her tower burned to the ground in 655 a.S. It was assumed that the fire was the
result of a failed summoning ritual. The archmage herself was also presumed to
have been killed in the fire as she was not
seen again after the disaster.

Imps have developed the reputation as being demons by the more ignorant and
superstitious folk of Xaramon. The Imps' unusual appearance and their presence
among archmagi have created many stories about the Imps' true nature. Most magi
through the centuries who have been fortunate enough to have had an Imp strongly
deny the rumours. Of course, there have been exceptions. A group of unscrupulous
magi who summoned an Imp in 1167 a.S. claimed that they had successfully
summoned a small demon. They spread fear throughout
Ximax and the surrounding populations with the
hope that the story would enable them to gain more power. The commoners believed
the story and the inaccurate connection was born. Contemporary studies have long
ago proven that the demon connection is false, but
convincing the superstitious common folk has been more difficult.

Image description.
Three magically created imps as they are described in a
fairy-tale. Picture drawn by Mitra Rodi.

The elves of the
Thaelon Forest have had a belief that an Imp
has lived deep within the magical woods for
many years. They call this creature a "d'isyrór" (Styrásh
lit. "magic friend"). The story the
elves tell is that a lone magi named Ignarius
lived in a small tower about a strals distance east of the
Thaelon Forest in 1485 a.S. The mage was an
old man who kept to himself most days. He was generally peaceful and caused
little trouble. The elves believed that
Ignarius was originally from Voldar but was
driven out because of his unpredictable practice of magic. Specifically, the
mage was a summoner, and a failed one at that. The
elves believed him harmless, however, but kept a close watch on his
activities nonetheless. During the summer of 1490 a.S., the
elves discovered that Ignarius had been
successful in summoning a creature of some sort. The creature turned out to be
an Imp but the mad mage had considerable trouble keeping his pet well behaved.
The elves secretly observed the old mage one
day as he tried to summon another Imp but the ritual failed. The failure caused
Ignarius to become so angry that he tore up his laboratory in a fit of rage and
collapsed dead from the exertion. The lonely Imp managed to remain in the tower
for a few days afterwards before flying away into the
Themed'lon to make a new home.
There, it is said, the elves helped the
creature feel at home somewhere deep within the woods, far from any who would
find it. The elves say their "d'isyrór" remains
in the forest to this day.

Researchers. There have been many researchers over the years who
have spent their lives studying the imps. One of the most prominent was the
Thalambath arcanist Khaius Onderfaust. He
explained many of the original imp summoning rituals in the book entitled "Notes
on Impish Phylogeny". His book has long been considered a companion work to the
original "Vagaries of the Summoned Entity". The book is available in the
Thalambath library and a copy is known to
exist in the XimaxianMagical Academy library as well. Both tomes
have been used as a guide for amateur Imp researchers for many years.

In one of the first studies of the Imp, Theodorus was able to observe the
creature and theorized that it was magically
created. He also documented the Imps' penchant for troublemaking and violence.
Noted as well was their appearance as he described them as having "large heads
and remarkable pointy ears, a flat nose and mean eyes." It is interesting to
note that perhaps Theodorus' study described an imp that was perhaps of a
different variety and temperament than those known today. Subsequent research
has since disproven some of Theodorus' original theories about the Imp. Despite
this, most of his work still remains relevant to contemporary scholars.